


Kain and the Aftermath

by Oh_Contrary



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Capture, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury, Langst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovry, Traumatic Touch Aversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-09-24 19:48:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17107019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_Contrary/pseuds/Oh_Contrary
Summary: Hello Lovelies!I've been wanting to do one of these for a while and i'm So Excited to be posting!! My Bingo square can be foundherealong with rules for purchasing tiles! Because of how my life is working out, i do need to work via commission rn. i hope you understand.This first part's a fun one! As the collection implies, bad things ahead. Nevertheless, please let me know if there are any additional tags or content/trigger warnings i need to add.Another thing, as most of these will be stand-alone type pieces, the fic will always show as complete as you're never waiting for what comes "next," though feel free to subscribe to catch goodies as they come!Let's do this!besos from space(os)~Tay





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Lovelies!
> 
> I've been wanting to do one of these for a while and i'm So Excited to be posting!! My Bingo square can be found [here](https://profoundprincessface.tumblr.com/post/179978639974/here-is-your-card-for-bad-things-happen-bingo) along with rules for purchasing tiles! Because of how my life is working out, i do need to work via commission rn. i hope you understand. 
> 
> This first part's a fun one! As the collection implies, bad things ahead. Nevertheless, please let me know if there are any additional tags or content/trigger warnings i need to add. 
> 
> Another thing, as most of these will be stand-alone type pieces, the fic will always show as complete as you're never waiting for what comes "next," though feel free to subscribe to catch goodies as they come!
> 
> Let's do this!
> 
> besos from space(os)  
> ~Tay

“Lance what’s your position?” Keith asked through the comms

“We're still in the lower navigation deck. Are you guys almost out?”

“Heading to our lions now with the prince. Y'all better hurry.”

“I’m almost done with the info grab,” Pidge answered. Lance looked from his position at the door to where she and Allura were frantically working the ship’s computers. 

“Good. Keep us updated. Stay safe you guys,” Keith called back.

“You too,” Lance said, turning his attention away from the girls and back into the hallway. Things had been quiet on their end for the past few minutes, which set him on edge. Lance had taken out the two guards in the room when they'd arrived, and Allura had stunned the navigator, but no one had come down since. He opened a comm with just him and the girls. 

“Guys? Does it seem too quiet to anyone else?”

“Don't second guess a gift, Lance,” Allura said. 

“My data shows they're still on the other side trying to get the others. We're not their priority,” Pidge seconded. 

“Yeah, but—”

“Done!” Allura called, grabbing her data cord and blaster. Pidge soon followed. They took off through the halls towards the green lion’s location. 

“On our way back,” Pidge said into the comms. 

“Good,” Shiro said. “Castle’s taking fire so we're pulling out now. Stay safe.”

“Defend the castle,” Lance called. “We'll be fine.” They closed the comms, rounding a corner and another one before suddenly running into a dead end. They all froze. 

“Pidge?” Lance asked, turning around. 

“This shouldn't be here,” she said, pressing a hand to the wall. “The map says—”

“Let's just turn around!” Allura snapped, leading them back the way they came. Only they found that path suddenly blocked as well. Allura beat against the wall. 

“I'll be right back,” Pidge yelled, taking off towards the other dead end. 

“Pidge!” Lance called. He opened the comm. 

“Guys, we've got a situation. We're trapped.” Three voices cried out at once, filling the comm with chatter. Keith's voice cut above the rest.

“Lance, what’s going on?”

“They’ve closed off our route. We’re trapped in a hallway. Allura’s trying to break one side and and Pidge is trying to hack the other but—”

He cut off at a scream from down the hall.

“Pidge!” he shouted, taking off running, Allura hot on his heels. They rounded the corner and Lance raised his rifle, aiming towards the hulking guard holding Pidge’s prone form in one hand.

“Let her go!” Allura shouted, running at their foe. As she approached, two more guards appeared. Lance took aim and fired, shooting one down as the other lunged for Allura. The hall continued to fill with people, everyone pressing towards them, grabbing at them and their weapons. Lance lost sight of Pidge and grew frantic, shooting until he was forced to hand to hand. He could hear Keith shouting into the comms, trying to get back to them but it was futile.

His voice was the last thing Lance heard as electricity coursed through his body. 

When he woke up, Lance was in a cell in a circular room. He sat up, pressing a hand to his pounding head. He looked around, the perimeter of the room was cells, mostly empty. He could see Pidge and Allura in two other ones, Pidge awake, but Allura still unconscious. That worried him, and he pressed himself against the glass of his, trying to get a better look.

“Your tall friend is fine,” a deep voice boomed.” Lance’s head whipped around, eyes falling on a hulking figure standing in front of what appeared to be the only room. They walked to Allura’s cell, pressing a hand against the glass. “After all, can’t afford to ruin merchandise.”

“Who are you,” Pidge yelled. He turned and pounded a fist on the glass of her cell.

“I am Kain the Bounty Hunter and you are the wretch that stole my prize!”

“Leave her alone,” Lance shouted, jumping up and reaching for his bayard, only to realize for the first time that they had been stripped of their armor. Kain turned on him, walking slowly across the circle.

“Oh? Then is it  _ you _ I should blame?”

“You kidnapped the prince. We just saved him.”

“Yes and in doing so, you cost me millions!” he leaned down to Lance’s level, breath fogging against the glass. He smirked. “Luckily, I’ve found three prizes that may fetch as good a price.

“Let us go,” Lance demanded. Kain laughed.

“And why would I do that? Why, with three paladins of Voltron and the Galra Empire in such disarray, even just one of you could fetch a handsome sum.” Lance opened his mouth to speak then closed it, thinking for a second.

“Then just take one,” he said. Kain raised an eyebrow. Lance looked him in the eye. “Take me. Let them go.”

“Lance!” Pidge shouted.

“Quiet!” he yelled back, keeping Kain’s attention from straying. “Take me. I’ll make you plenty, I promise, just let them go.” he could hear Pidge shouting in the background, but he ignored her. Kain was chuckling, a cruel smile curling his lips.

“Well,” he said, the word rumbling into a purr. “You’re certainly a willing sacrifice.”

“No better kind,” Lance replied. 

“Alright,” Kain said, smiling cruelly. “I’ll test you. We’ll see if you’re worth as much as you say.”

Lance stood up straight. Watching as Kain punched a code into the controls, opening the glass door to his cell. Lance stepped out and Kain grabbed him, one huge clawed hand slipping around the base of his neck, claws pricking against Lance's jaw as he turned his head side to side. 

“You know what,” Kain growled, lips spreading into a toothy smile. “I'll let you try it.” He tugged Lance into the center of the room. He reached into his own belt, drawing a gun and a knife from opposite holsters. He placed both on the floor. “These are your weapons. I’m going to bring in a crewman. If you can defeat him, I’ll let your friends go. You will be the only prize I take and they’ll be free.”

Behind him, he could hear Pidge banging on the glass, telling him not to do it, but Lance ignored her. He picked up the knife and the gun, holding the gun in his right hand and the knife in his left. Kain seated himself in a throne-like chair on the far side of the room. 

A hulking crew member entered, looking down at Lance with a smirk. Kain chuckled from across the room. 

“Begin.”

Lance was on edge the entire fight. He took more hits than he was proud of, definitely more hits than he should have. The entire time, he could hear Pidge in the background, shouting what help she could. At some point Allura joined in, encouraging him as the fight dragged on. 

“Do you yield, paladin?” Kain shouted from the side. 

“Never,” Lance growled, lunging again towards his opponent. The crewman grabbed the wrist of his knife-wielding hand, pulling Lance up off the ground. Instead of pulling away, Lance reached up with his other hand, hanging on tight as they tried to throw him. He stabbed the knife into his opponent’s wrist, swinging around to bring his knee into the side of his face. They both went down, Lance landing just out of the crewman’s reach. He grabbed his knife out of their wrist and scrambled up their body. He pressed the knife to their neck and his gun to their forehead. 

“Yield!” He shouted. The crewman looked surprised but bemused, simply turning to look at Kain, who was cackling gleefully. Lance stood, swaying on his feet and throwing the weapons aside. He spat blood onto the floor and turned towards Kain, pressing a hand to a wound in his side that was now bleeding more than he'd like. Nevertheless, he wiped his sweaty face with a hand and leveled a glare at the bounty hunter. 

“Now let them go,” he snarled. Allura was shouting something from her cell but he ignored her, ears ringing too much to focus on her muffled cries. 

“Hmm, but what if you don't sell like you should, paladin?” Kain mused. 

“You said you'd let them go!” Lance yelled, taking a step forwards. He bent for the gun on the ground, but was stopped by strong hands tugging his arms behind his back. He struggled, pulling towards Kain, who was slowly making his way towards them. 

“I did say that didn't I?” Kain mused, coming to stand before Lance. He took his chin between clawed fingers, turning his bloodied face back and forth. “But the prince you cost me was worth more than a fighter or even a political prize, paladin.” 

Lance tugged his face from Kain’s grip, spitting a glob of blood and saliva at the big alien’s chest. He simply chuckled. 

“Such fire, paladin,” Kain sneered. He laid a hand against Lance’s throat, forcing his head up as claws scratched against his jaw. Kain leaned down close, pressing Lance between his chest and his cohort’s before leaning down to purr in Lance's ear:

“Let's see what else you're good for.”

Lance steeled himself, eyes straying to where Pidge and Allura were still trapped. 

“Bring it.”


	2. Traumatic Touch Aversion- klance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the trauma of his time with the bounty hunter, Lance has trouble with touch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Bad Things Bingo commission for the ever lovely [donttrusttheclogs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/donttrusttheclogs/pseuds/donttrusttheclogs), who requested the square "Traumatic Touch Aversion." Liz, you're a gem and i adore you. 
> 
> My Bingo square can be found [here](https://profoundprincessface.tumblr.com/post/179978639974/here-is-your-card-for-bad-things-happen-bingo) along with rules for purchasing tiles! Because of how my life is working out, i do need to work via commission rn. i hope you understand. 
> 
> This chapter is a quasi-continuation of the square before, "You Said You'd Let them Go." This chapter has the tag for Implied/Referenced Non-con. Only implied, no content. Tread carefully.
> 
> As always, let me know if there are any addition trigger/content warnings I need to add.
> 
> besos from space-os!  
> ~Tay

Keith watched as Lance quietly left the dinner table. Everything he did now he did quietly. It was unlike him, unsettlingly so, but it was what they had. Beggars can’t be choosers and, after that run-in with the bounty hunter, they had certainly been begging just to get the others back. And when they did, when they walked into that room and saw the condition Lance was in— the bruises covering his body, the tattered remnants of his flight suit, and the glassy, terrified, look in his eye—

Keith had knelt to pick Lance up and he had  _ screamed _ . Had begged and pleaded for them not to touch him, to stop, stop, godammit,  _ stop. _

Allura had touched a glowing finger to his temple, putting him to sleep long enough for them to get him back to the castle and into a pod. Despite the sheer number of injuries, he was healed by the next day and Lance tumbled out of the pod into Keith's waiting arms. 

In a second, he was out of them, pushing Keith harshly away, sending both of them to the floor as Lance nearly crawled back into the pod in his attempt to get away from Keith's hands. 

The entire room went silent. 

Nothing had been the same since. 

As Keith and the others watched Lance make his exit, they all hung their heads. Pidge and Allura did so tearfully, still affected by the sacrifices Lance had made for them on that ship. Allura still battled with her guilt. 

Hunk looked over at Lance's dish, practically untouched, and frowned. 

“I'll chill this for him,” Hunk said, rising from his chair and reaching for Lance's plate. Keith wanted to stop him, but didn't; knowing from experience that despite having barely eaten, it would be hours before Lance would be able to again. 

“It'll be okay, Keith.” Shiro said from the end of the table. Keith looked away from Lance's empty place to the older paladin. “It's just going to take some more time.” 

Keith fought not to clench his jaw. Every day it was the same thing: Lance's apparent misery, Pidge and Allura's own guilt, and Shiro's empty platitudes about giving Lance more time.

“Excuse me,” Keith said angrily, standing abruptly and leaving the kitchen. He made his way through the halls to the training room. He walked to the training weapons on the wall before stopping, the door to the locker room was closed, but everything around it seemed slightly… damp? He pushed the door open and startled when thick steam poured out. He stepped into the wet room, letting memory guide him through the thick steam. He could hear the last shower running, and immediately he knew who he would find in the stall. 

He made his steps loud as he walked down along the line of showers. In the very last one he found Lance, arms wrapped tight around his knees and fingernails slipping against his wet skin as he huddled directly under the scalding spray. Keith lept forward, swearing to himself, and turned the shower off. He grabbed a clean towel off one of the shelves and stood just outside the shower stall, careful not to block the exit as he called Lance’s name, trying and failing to draw his attention.

“Lance,” he said again, kneeling on the wet floor. “C’mon honey, can you look at me? Can we get you out of here? Maybe dry you off?” Lance was already starting to shiver, but made no move to leave with or even acknowledge Keith. Keith waffled on the sideline, mind racing as he tried to think of a way around what he knew he needed to do. But, as minutes passed and Lance sneezed where he was huddled wet and naked on the floor, Keith resigned himself to what he needed to do.

When Keith’s arms fit around his thin shoulders, Lance screamed. It was all Keith could do to get a hold on him and hoist him out of the shower stall. Between the wet floors, and Lance’s still moist skin, they nearly went down twice; Lance’s thrashing and clawing keeping Keith unsteady.

“Lance, please,” Keith pleaded, hissing as Lance caught him across the cheek with his nails. “It’s me! You’re safe, it’s just me—”

“Let go of me! Let me go— Keith! Keith, help!” He struggled in Keith's arms and Keith barely avoided taking a knee to the chin as he resettled Lance over a shoulder, trying to get him to the bench by his locker. 

“It's me, Lance. You're safe in the castle. I've got you. I'll keep you safe—” but the rest of his promises were lost to the dark as Lance thrust his elbow into the back of Keith's head. 

They tumbled to the ground, Keith landing half on top of a panicked Lance, who cried out as he was thrown to the floor. He sat up shakily, tugging his legs out from under Keith's torso. For a moment, the world slowed around him and he recognized the communal bathroom off the trading deck. 

He looked down, recognizing with horror the mop of dark hair on the ground in front of him. 

“K-Keith?” he whispered, reaching out and shaking his shoulder. “Keith?” he repeated, louder this time. The other boy didn't stir. “Oh god,” Lance said, hands sliding up to pull his wet hair. “Oh god—”

“Everything ok?” Shiro called from the door, waving a hand through the steam. “We got an alert that someone fell.”

“Sh-Shiro?” Lance said, more to himself as his panicked brain tried to get ahold of the situation. “Shiro!” he called, voice tight with tears. He crawled along the floor, heading back to kneel by Keith's prone form as he called for help.

“Lance?” Shiro called, moving into the room. He stumbled upon the pair, Lance naked and crying beside Keith, who appeared unconscious. He slid to the ground beside them, keep his eyes carefully averted from Lance’s naked form as he called Hunk in and carefully rolled Keith over. Lance watched, stricken as Shiro lifted Keith off the ground. He burst into relieved tears as he heard him groan as Shiro carried him out of the room. 

A towel dropped around his shoulders, covering him and he gripped it hard, pulling it tight around his shaking shoulders.

“We should… we should go get you dressed,” Hunk said carefully, hand hovering above Lance’s shoulder as if afraid to touch him. He nearly laughed— he would be afraid to touch him too.

“Hunk, what’s wrong with me?” he whispered, hunching his shoulders even more.

“Nothing’s wrong, Lance,” Hunk said, barely managing to keep the weariness out of his voice. 

“I hurt Keith,” Lance said quietly, sniffling from a combination of tears and cold. Hunk said nothing, and they lingered for a long moment in the still steamy bathroom. The silence was broken by Lance sneezing, and Hunk ushered him up off the cold floor and out of the bathroom. 

He stood patiently outside Lance’s room to let him get dressed in privacy, having promised to take him to see Keith once he was warmed up, but, when he opened the door, thin frame swallowed by a sweater and a high flush on his cheeks, Hunk lead him straight to his bed. 

“Keith will kill me if I let you get sick just to visit him. You stay bundled up and I'll bring him to you.” Lance could only nod, rolling so his back was towards the wall and his eyes were on the door. “I'll be back,” Hunk promised. Lance nodded, watching him leave. 

By the time the door opened again, he was asleep. Keith quietly slipped into the room, kneeling silently by the bed and staring at Lance, thin face flushed with what was surely an oncoming fever. Allura sighed from behind him.

“He’s gotten so frail,” she said in a whisper. Keith shushed her, saying nothing. He reached out, fingers itching to brush Lance’s hair back from his forehead and see how warm he was— 

But he stopped himself, not wanting to poison Lance’s dreams with the invasion of touch.

“I’m gonna stay until he wakes up,” Keith said quietly, laying his head on the comforter. Allura only sighed, crossing the room and grabbing a blanket, which she laid around his shoulders. 

“Bring him to the med bay if his fever gets worse,” she said. “With how weak he’s gotten—”

“He’s not weak,” Keith said firmly. 

“Keith, you know that’s not what I meant—”

“He isn’t weak, he’s just- just struggling right now. He’s going to be okay.” Allura said nothing, but smoothed a hand over the crown of Keith’s head, leaning down and kissing his hair. “Allura?” he asked, looking up towards the princess. She said nothing, giving him a soft smile as she left the room. Keith lay his head back on the bed, sighing deeply and gazing at Lance. He smiled, glad that he looked peaceful in his sleep.

He must have dozed, as the next thing he remembered must have certainly been a dream. Familiar fingers were trailing through his hair, a raspy voice humming in the distance. Keith kept still, struggling against the urge to lean into the contact or look at Lance. Carefully, keeping his movements slow to feign sleep, he leaned into the contact, sighing contently as Lance brushed the hair off his forehead, fingers trailing along the side of his face. 

Finally, Keith opened his eyes, looking across the blankets towards Lance. He’d scooted close, curling his body towards Keith’s head on the bed. Lance didn’t notice for a long minute, eyes focused on the path of his fingers over Keith’s skin and through his hair. They trailed back down over his forehead, sliding along one eyebrow before freezing. 

Lance’s hand pulled quickly away and it was everything could could do to stop himself from grabbing it.

“It’s okay,” Keith whispered. Pre-empting the apology he knew was coming. He lay his hand flat on the bed. “We’ll take our time. You’ll get there.”

Lance only nodded, brushing his fingertips against Keith’s for only a second before pulling his hand back. Keith swallowed his momentary sadness. This was more than they’d had in weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pain, but the good kind!! Tell me what you think! Or come see me on [tumblr](https://profoundprincessface.tumblr.com/) to request a square. 
> 
> xoxo  
> ~Tay

**Author's Note:**

> What'd ya think? Hurts don't it?
> 
> Visit me on [tumblr](https://profoundprincessface.tumblr.com/) to watch me curate memes or yell about Voltron!  
> xoxo  
> ~Tay


End file.
